Abstract Recent advancements in the ability to produce blood products from expandable stem cells might be used to create a strategic reserve to reduce the strain on volunteer donors1. A strategic stem-cell derived frozen supply may reduce seasonal shortages, enhance the ability to respond to emergencies, and address periodically inadequate supplies of rare blood types. Unlike the donor based system, where small numbers of units are collected in geographically distributed locations, stem-cell derived red blood cell products (RBCs) will be produced in large volumes at a central location and will be frozen to enable distribution and adequate shelf life. In addition to improving the stem-cell derived manufacturing process, new economical ways of preparing the frozen RBCs for transfusion are needed. The principal obstacle to the use of frozen blood has been the difficulty in removing cryoprotective agents (glycerol) post thaw to enable clinical use2. Red blood cell deglycerolization is typically time-consuming, requires expensive centrifuge-based equipment and typically results in high cell losses. Without an easy to use and economical method to wash frozen RBCs, the practicality a of stem-cell derived strategic supply will be greatly impaired. The long-term objective of this investigation is to develop a microfluidic device capable of removing glycerol from cryopreserved red blood cells. This phase I investigation describes initial steps to take a prototype device developed 3-7 in an academic laboratory with funding from National Institutes of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB, R21EB004857) and bring that invention toward commercialization. The device developed will be easy to use (largely automated), requiring no external power and improve on cell loss. Our central advancement is a vertically oriented microfluidic device, which can be used to remove glycerol with minimal losses and minimal operator intervention.